Energy giant ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) hardly needs an introduction. With a market cap of $460 billion, it's easily one of the largest oil and natural gas producers on the planet. Add in a dividend yield of 3.1%, compared with the S&P 500's miserly 1.5% average, and there's a good reason for income-focused investors to be examining this goliath.

Here's why ExxonMobil is a no-brainer dividend stock if you're in the market for an energy stock.

If you're seeking a reliable dividend stock, the cyclical energy sector is a rough place to start looking. Performance in this group often swings, sometimes very quickly, between huge profits and painful losses. There aren't all that many dividends that can withstand such extremes.

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Source Fool.com